The background of the invention will be discussed in two parts:
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to toys and more particularly to a toy simulating a helicopter having manually operable means for driving the rotor blades in a compact reliable manner with few moving parts.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Toys simulating airplanes or helicopters having moving blades or propellers are a constant source of amusement to children. The play value of such a device is enhanced when the action of such toys closely approximates those available in the full-scale operating versions.
A toy helicopter is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,642,698 issued June 23, 1953 to E. W. Fishburne, the helicopter being provided with a hollow shaft supporting the rotor blades, the hollow shaft having extending therethrough a drawstring which is wound about a drum on a second shaft, the drum being coil spring biased. The drum carries a frictional clutch which engages an inner cylindrical surface of a gear member which is coupled to the rotor shaft. Such mechanisms are unduly complicated and the play value is limited to the actuation of the pullstring to drive the rotor blade.
It is accordingly an object of this invention to provide a new and improved toy helicopter having a simple, compact rotor blade actuating mechanism.
It is another object of this invention to provide a new and improved toy helicopter which contains additional play value in the form of a manually-operated winch and a manually-operable water-squirting mechanism simulating a firehose.